


A Lovesick Love Story

by TheREDHarlequist



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst and Humor, Doctors, Double Life, Drug Addiction, Faked Suicide, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Medical, Navy, Religious Content, Romance, Underage - Freeform, Underage Drug Use, Underage Sex, basically angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-07
Updated: 2014-10-19
Packaged: 2018-02-20 05:33:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2416736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheREDHarlequist/pseuds/TheREDHarlequist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the Trafalgar twins are both diagnosed with a critical and life-threatening disease, its up to the parents, who are both extremely well-trained and expert doctors, to save them. Right?<br/>A new doctor comes strolling into town, attracting more attention than its annual festival. The Trafalgar twins basically have their lives on the line, and turn to this wacky, new doctor--but can he help them? Moreover, is he /willing/ to help them?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> What better way to start off Law's birthday than put him in an angsty and comical love story with just enough humor to keep a smile on your face?  
> This story actually came from a head-cannon of mine, and with a little thought and energy, I worked it into what it will now soon become. Probably gonna feel like a bunch of one-shots pressed together in chapter-form, but hey, what can you do? 
> 
> The story takes place in Flevance, a town in northern France (I've chosen France because the name sounds French, and adds a bit of variety). The beginning of this chapter will take place three years before the current progression, and right after will be the timeskip. Ages go as:  
> T. Law- 14 (Chapter One) T. Lamy- 11 (Chapter One) T. Ramon- 32 (Chapter One) T. B. Catherine- 29 (Chapter One)   
> [Ramon and Catherine's names came from a post on Tumblr about Law's parents being French and Spanish. I got a lot of inspiration from Tumblr alone.]

**Chapter One-**

_Diagnosed_

 

 **T** ime was running out. Every person in that emergency room could feel it in the air; a thick, heavy sensation with a stagnant, stale aftertaste. The clock that was mounted on the wall above the door steadily ticked on, unaffected by the time; to the nurses and doctors that frantically rushed here and there, it was moving in a slow-motion so slow, it could have drove a sane man mad. It knocked down second after second, gruesomely slow, and minute after minute; even slower. The emergency room was congested with feminine and masculine voices of all kinds, woven with fear and laced in panic. An urgency so strong had taken hold of these voices and almost droned out the sound of the ominous ticking above. 

_Almost._

_"Quick, hook up another IV!"_

_"We need more blood for another transfusion. Go find some now!"  
_

_"She's starting to lose consciousness... quick, a defibrillator, and now!"_

_"One... two... three... CLEAR!"_

These nurses and doctors shouted commands left from right and worked tirelessly to try and bring back the patient they were operating on. However, they didn't work nearly as hard, or as fast enough, as the father of said patient; his hairline leaked with perspiration and dripped down to the creases of his forehead. The lenses of his black-framed glasses fogged in and out with each frantic breath he took. He stood beside the white cot, feverishly tying IV cords to the meter and trying to pump the fluids into her body. He had stepped away for the nurse to perform the defibrillator, not wanting to get shocked by the electrical pulses. Yet, after three tries, no response came from the young patient, and the doctor was back beside her bed once more. "Dr. Trafalgar, it's no use! She's not responding to anything--"

 _"Don't say that! She'll come through and you know it!"_ Once all of the cords were connected and working Dr. Trafalgar took the defibrillator away from the nurse and hurriedly rubbed the paddles together. _Come on, Lamie, wake up! Oh, God, please don't take her away from..!_

The tiny prayer was sent up before Trafalgar Ramon pressed the two electrified paddles against the petite chest of his daughter. His light grey eyes immediately switched to the heart monitor, where a thin green line was present amid a black screen. 

 _Beeeeeeeeeeeee..._ Not once did that green line bounce. Ramon bit his bottom lip, fear and panic bubbling within his gut.  _Dammit, it didn't work!_

 _Okay, try again...!_ _  
_

_"One, two, three... CLEAR!"_

After the second try, the same result occurred. Nurses and doctors alike watched the scene of a frantic father trying rescue his daughter through silence; though they were alongside him in this battle, they could feel the dread creeping up upon them. One of the doctors slipped his index finger into the tiny, limp hand of the young patient in a form of goodbye.  _Come on baby, you've got to wake up! You're too young to die now!_

If only these thoughts could wake up the young girl. No matter how many times he willed the girl to wake, Lamie just wouldn't budge. Her eye didn't even twitch; she was as still as a log. "Again! We'll keep trying again!" 

_"We'll keep trying until she gains consciousness!"_

 

 **O** utside the ER, in an empty living and waiting room, sat 14 year old Trafalgar Law and his mother, Catherine. Law clutched the ends of his light grey jacket with tight and trembling fingers; visible white spots dotted the thin skin, some going as far as covering the finger tips. A hardening took to these fingers, resulting in an almost itchy feeling, but the teen pushed this to the back of his mind. He had to stay strong and ignore these "abstract" distractions. Law rolled in his bottom lip and nipped softly, further inducing his reasoning. 

His mother, teary-eyed, also had to stay strong. She held Law around his waist and gave a reassuring squeeze every time a shudder past through him. A fear, similar to his yet in the form of maternal instincts, took hold of her within the pit of her stomach. Catherine forced this maternal emotion down with a gentle smile; still, that did nothing to mask away the feeling inside of her. The fear of losing her only daughter to an alien disease that was also eating away at her son.  _Oh heavenly Father, please... please don't let my Lamie die. I beg of you, don't take my only daughter away from me.._

Law had similar thoughts, but he didn't "pray"; he told himself Lamie would get better.  _Lamie, you're stronger than this. I know you are! Don't let some stupid disease take over you; don't you wanna attend more... festivals? And what about Flevance Academy?_ These strengthening musings brought a light smile to the light-skinned boy's lips. Lamie will make it through, Law told himself. 

"Mrs. Catherine? Law-dear, is that you?" 

A soft, gentle feminine voice brought the mother and her son out of their minds and back to reality. Catherine looked into the tender deep brown eyes of Sister Amis, a member of Flevance First Baptist Church. Amis had the same amount of water in her eyes as she did, but she kept these at bay with a sweet, reassuring smile. "May I...?" 

_"Y-Yes, you m-may,"_

It pained Law to hear his mother sound like this; she's usually so strong and so confident. Even Catherine was appalled by how she sounded, which triggered another wave of emotions through her watery light brown eyes. Amis took her seat beside the sniffling, smiling mother and Law, who edged closer to her. Not out of shyness, but in a way to give the blonde-haired woman strength.  _Something I need right now..._ he thought ruefully. Amis took a look around the room, admiring the antique-like furniture and equally priceless decorations.  _"My..._ your hospital is so beautiful. Clean, and so well organized.. it's amazing how you keep it in such pristine condition being such a large facility." 

Amis was doing this as an attempt to bring a smile out of the crying mother and let her know everything was going to be alright. Catherine's lips curved, peeking above her hand which slowly wiped away salty tears from her eyes.  _"T-T-Thank you... I try to make it appealing to the patients and visitors that walk through here..."_

"You're doing an excellent job at it. Someday, you should ask other members of the church to help you." 

_"Y-Yeah.. that's a good idea.."_

Catherine couldn't stop her voice from cracking. It resulted in more tears flowing freely from her round, light brown eyes. Amis took this into consideration and, with her signature uplifting smile, took her free hand into her own. She applied gentle pressure to the extremity, which forced Catherine to look into her tender burning brown eyes. "Everything will be alright Mrs. Catherine. Your husband is the greatest doctor to ever live in Flevance, and his staff of well trained nurses and doctors will stop at nothing to help bring your daughter back. I promise you, Lamie will not die; you just have to trust in Him, and he will surely heal your beloved daughter." 

These were the words Catherine needed. This was the boost of confidence she longed for. As more tears poured from her eyes, the blonde-haired woman had a fierce, determined smile on her lips. She nodded in agreement with the church member and squeezed her hand in return. Law was also renewed with confidence. Having heard this, he now had no doubt that his father would save his little sister and cure the disease taking over both of their bodies. 

At the mentioning of this, a violent wave of burning itchiness took over both of his hands.

 

 **O** _kay, final time! One, two, three, CLEAR!"_

Lamie's chest jerked upwards and then fell back down. Ramon's eyes locked onto the black screen of the heart monitor, praying for a difference in the green line. 

Nothing. 

The only signal he got was the long, incessant beeping that droned out through his ears and sounded like what lead in the stomach felt; heavy.  _Dammit..._

_Dammit...!_

He tried the defibrillator five times already. Anymore, he'll surely put his beloved girl through shock. She was small enough as it is; the next sets could actually  _kill_ her. Ramon dropped the paddles to where they dangled beside the white cot and began sliding to his knees. His hand, whitened by the rare disease and slicked with sweat, gripped his daughter's limp one, and he gave a heartfelt and guilt-stricken squeeze.  _Why..._

"M-M-Maybe we can try the implants...! Its not as lethal as the defibrillator, and we can--" 

_"Are you stupid!? Are you trying to kill my daughter!?"_

The nurse that spoke up immediately regretted her decision, and she hushed after that. Ramon sniffled, the sound piercing the ears of the people in the ER; it was unsettling to see their leader brought down to his knees and crying. "It wouldn't work... the implants are just like the defibrillator. If we can't get a signal now, what makes you think we'll get one with those?" 

_"I-I-I'm sorry... I-I thought.."_

Ramon tuned her out. Looking at the pale, white-blotched face of his daughter, he could feel remorse and shame tearing into his heart. Here he was, the country's greatest doctor and leader in the medical industry; struck by indifference in saving his only daughter.  _Some 'doctor' you turned out to be... You can't even save your own daughter! How will that look on your records? 'Trafalgar Lamie, dead because of her own dad'._

The thought was meant to be degrading, but it only forced a sob to rack through his body. Ramon buried his head into the thick white mattress of the cot and emitted a guttural sound through the covers. It was a hoarse cry, ripping through his throat and piercing the tensed air. Nurses and doctors could do nothing; they didn't know what _to_ do. The women in the room turned away or hid their crying eyes behind hands, while the men faced either the ground or the roof.  _"We need to tell her..."_

_"Oh, God, she'll be devastated.."_

A murmur rippled through the crowd. One of the nurses, a black haired woman with light hazel eyes, started edging to the door. She couldn't bear bringing the bad news, but she knew it had to be done; it was going to be hurtful and devastating, especially on her part.  _I'm so sorry Mrs. Catherine... we couldn't save your daughter... And your son.._ Bile rose up in her throat. Trafalgar Law had similar symptoms, though not to Lamie's decree. 

Now that they lost Lamie (or so it seemed), what about him?  _What about Dr. Trafalgar himself?_ They were fighting a losing battle with this new disease. 

The black haired nurse had just twisted the door knob when a faint beep pierced the atmosphere. She instantly halted in the turning of the knob; an emotion grappled her heart when she heard it again. 

_Beep._

_....._

_Beep._

_....._

_Beep._

_"Oh... my God.."_

When the black haired nurse turned around, she was awarded with a new scene; a scene that left her shattered heart rebuilding with hope and a joy she had rarely felt in her lifetime. Ramon was up on his feet and hunched over Lamie, both of his speckled white hands gripping either side of his daughter's head in a gentle cradling. Thick streams of tears poured down from his face, with lines of snot running from his nose.  _"L-Lamie, oh my precious Lamie...! You're alive...!"_

The emergency room was awarded with shouts and whistles of jubilation and victory. Ramon released his gentle hold on the young patient, yet remained clasping her hand. He faced his teary-eyed staff through teary eyes of his own and began barking out orders. "N-Now.. Now that we got her back to consciousness, I want her hooked up to a breathing machine. We'll just let her rest overnight before we start anything major; apply new IV fluids and blood for another transfusion, and insert some antibiotics into her system."

It felt nice to hear orders coming out strong from the doctor's lips. The doctors and nurses, with strength and renewal of hope in their hearts, worked diligently and followed Ramon's commands. The man walked over to the tiny, messy desk in the corner of the room to wash off his hands and dry them. Running his fingers through his black hair, he took in several deep breaths and then turned for the door. _Now to deliver the good news.._

 

 **T** he air was tense when Trafalgar Ramon stepped out of the hallway and into the waiting-living room. Catherine, Amis, and Law looked towards the man, taking note of his flushed cheeks and reddened eyes. The women moved their hands to their lips in unison, while air ripped out of Law's system.  _No... Don't you dare tell me she didn't make it..._

Catherine had similar thoughts. A new, fresh wave of tears was ready to pour from her eyes; she wasn't mentally or physically prepared for this. "My dear... Son..." The two sucked in another breath at the same time--they couldn't deal with the grief that was slowly creeping up on them. Law sealed his eyes shut and bit down hard on his lip; blood drew from the punctured area. Amis reached over to hold the teenage boy's hand, as well as tighten her grip on Catherine's.

"L-Lamie..." With a forceful swallow, Ramon spoke the words through the widest grin ever seen on a human. _"S-S-She made it, y-y-you guys...! L-L-Lamie's going to be o-okay..!"_

Catherine broke down into tears; not of sadness, but of pure joy. Law couldn't act tough anymore; his cheeks were flushed and soaked to the skin. Amis broke down as well and wrapped her arms around the crying mother and child. Ramon joined in the circle of happiness, nuzzling his head against his wife, and then his son. _"I-I knew you could d-do it, honey. I-I never d-doubted you, n-not for a minute..!"_ Ramon couldn't speak due to the amount of water pouring out of his sockets. Though, he did give his woman a chaste kiss on the lips.

Law, being squished in between three adults, marveled in joy.  _See Lamie? You didn't go away! Now, we can definitely go to festivals together!_ Law's joyous thoughts ended when Ramon pulled away; though he was still smiling, his voice held a stern tone to it. "We have to work at trying to figure out what this disease actually is. Research won't start until tomorrow morning--Lamie deserves rest, and so do we." 

Catherine and the other two nodded understandingly. Removing herself from the plush cushions, she followed her husband out of the living room and down the hall. Amis left now that her job was completed. "Can't we go see her, Dad?" Ramon chuckled and placed a gentle hand atop his son's black hair. "After the patient is sent from the ER, where do they go?" Law's lips pursed slightly, his mind reeling for the answer. It came to him in mere moments. "They either go home or.." 

Ramon nodded his head at the first answer. Law grinned, his smile looking similar to his father's. "You'll see her soon, son. You have to be patient, just like us." Law fiercely nodded as he followed his parents out the hospital and towards their actual house. _I'll see you in a bit, okay Lamie? So just hang in there._

 _For me._  


	2. Three Years Later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think these chapters will be updated on Mondays and Thursdays (don't know yet--still working on a time).  
> We're in the three year timeskip as the title depicts, and ages go as follows:  
> Do the math.  
> Setting is placed in the season of October and the month of Fall.

**Chapter Two-**

_Talks and Rumors;  
A New Doctor? _

 

 

 **O** ctober drew in cool and slightly chilled breezes over the town of Flevance, which was located in northern France. These winds carried leaves with the change of autumn through the illumined streets and whitened buildings, adding a beautiful touch-up to it. People of all varieties strolled across the paved and reddened sidewalks that adorned the sides of the streets, tending to their own businesses and heading in random directions. Some walked into the tall buildings on their left or right, while others came out of said buildings with bags or suitcases. The streets, just like the sidewalks, had been congested with cars of all sorts and carrying passengers here and there. These cars filled the atmosphere with exhaust gas and muffled out nature's music with random honks and blares. 

Among this throng of people, talk bubbled about a new presence coming to the whitened, prospering town. And among this talk was where seventeen year old Trafalgar Law was walking, his stride confident and a faint smirk on his lips. He paid little attention to the rumors that speculated around him, as his goal was getting home quickly before the sun set. 

Three years ago, a disease overtook Flevance and threatened to bring the town to its knees. This disease, dubbed Amber Lead Disease, had infected over 250 citizens; Law, along with his father and younger sister, were among the 250 that got infected with the illness. A team of well trained and determined staff of medical doctors that were led by Law's father worked day and night in conjuring up a cure to rid the disease forever. While they didn't find a cure, they found a life-saving treatment that brought hope to the citizens and motivation to the doctors. 

This treatment was a medicine that contained natural antibiotics of citrus fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C, with a small ounce of an additive that helped boost the immune system to kill off the cancerous cells that weakened the body. This medicine was administered to the 250 infected citizens, and within days symptoms of Amber Lead Disease disappeared rapidly. Now, three years and not a single case reporting the comeback of Amber Lead, normality has come back to Flevance, and with it surging faith. 

A cool gust  blew across Law's arms. Taking the ends of his light grey jacket, he pulled the fabric down further to where the cuffs were draping over the ends of his fingertips. While the medicine helped with reducing the dangerous cells and whitened skin, it couldn't rid Law of his own damaged skin caused by vitiligo. The big, white blotches were on every part of his body; his arms, legs, upper torso, even his neck. While it was degrading and had made him self-conscious in the past, the student from Flevance Academy learned to get over it and live on normally with his life. As long as he wore jackets, long-sleeved shirts, and pants, not a single view of vitilgo could be seen. 

Having just left from his academy, Law was heading down Roswald Street, which was a main path towards the plaza. He passed the welcoming sign of the plaza, which read  _Bienvenue sur Crowne!_ in cursive black format. Crowne Plaza, while not being Law's most preferred place, was Flevance's main attraction. Festivals were located here, right along famous boutiques and well loved cafes. Today, people walked in and out of shops and cafes, either carrying bags or Styrofoam cups. Law walked past all of these shops and inviting cafes; his main direction was for home, which the plaza landed right in the center of. Still, he slowed down his stride to gaze at the different landmarks present around him. 

One landmark, and preferably his most favorite, being the  _Magnifique Dame--_ Magnificent Lady in French. The grand fountain was placed in the center of the Crowne Plaza, where people sat on the rim to talk with others or simply to pass time. As Law slowed his walk, he gazed upon the granite statue carved by the famous French artist Vincent van Gogh. It was of a woman draped in a long flowing dress that covered the entirety of her foot; only her toes peeked out. In her hands was a harp, embroidered in gold. Wrapped around her head was a wreath with painted green leaves and white flowers. Law stood here with his hands in pockets, mesmerized at the captivating beauty of the fountain.  _It definitely lives up to its name,_ he thought to himself. 

He diverted his attention away from the gushing fountain and headed back on his way home. Whilst walking among the crowds of people, conversations could be heard overlapping one another. Most were in French, some being of the most ridiculous to the most private. Law tuned out of these conversations; he particularly didn't eavesdrop on other people, unless he had too. The last time he did so, he ended up hearing the wrong end of a heated conversation that was turned at him. 

But still, even after that life lesson, if one would call it such, Law couldn't help himself but curiously "dip" into another conversation. Because of this, he heard words that sparked his attention immediately. 

_"...new doctor... coming to Flevance..."_

_"Heard he... greatest in the world..."_

_"Can probably cure.... disease..."_

_New doctor? Coming here?_ Law wanted to stay and listen for more, but he didn't let it get to him. His parents were the best--and  _only--_ doctors in Flevance. The bustling town didn't need anyone else to coming in. He allowed this to go over his head and continued on his way home. Talks and rumors about the "new doctor" still went around him. 

A wonderful aroma had abruptly halted Law's stroll through the plaza. At first, the student couldn't quite place the direct source of the smell; only that it smelled wonderful and had to be coming from a nearby bakery. As soon as 'bakery' flashed across his mind, Law's pale grey eyes started scanning the plaza for his favorite creamery. He saw it instantly, and a large smile widened across his lips. Without a second thought, Law began heading for his childhood creamery, saliva leaking out the corners of his lips. 

Saint Benoit's Creamery and Bakery was the name of the small building Law walked into. The checkered light and dark brown tiled floor squeaked underneath his black dress shoes, indicating that they were just waxed. The chairs, which were black-meshed with a heart-like back support, were upturned so that they were resting on the tables. Law quickly looked at the time--though he feared that it was closing, relief overtook his body. It was only a quarter past three, and the creamery wouldn't close until six.  _Must have just gotten done cleaning,_ he mused to himself while approaching the counter. Law pressed the golden bell twice on the counter, then patiently waited for the owner to arrive. 

He didn't have to wait long. A tall man with short brown hair arrived and greeted Law with a welcoming smile.  _"Bonjour, Law!_ Just now leaving the Academy?" 

 _"Oui, monsieur._ I almost thought I was late when I walked in to see chairs stacked up." 

The man gave a hearty laugh while going over to the vats just left of Law. "No, no, not closing. Just cleaning. The usual?" 

Law was beginning to answer yes, but the smell suddenly grabbed his attention. "Actually, no. I'll have whatever I'm smelling."

The man that knew Trafalgar Law was named Allon Bel. He sported short, cropped brown hair and light hazel eyes that matched the color, with fair skin giving it a light contrast. Allon gave the academy student a sly, almost devious smile, before heading through the doors that lead to the kitchen. Law was beginning to regret the decision having seen Allon's smile; but he knew that whatever new recipe Allon came up with wouldn't leave him disappointed. Everything the glacier created left a smile on his face. Law didn't have to wait long for his treat to come out; it was an ice cream cone topped with chocolate dressing, whipped cream, and a large Hershey kiss. "An ice-cream cone..?" Law took it with curious fingers. 

His sudden realization happened at the same time Allon's face lit up in a wide smile. "Not just  _any_ ice-cream cone. An ice-cream cone made from a chocolate-chip waffle!" 

Law gave Allon a look before returning back to the cone. The warm chocolate chip waffle felt soft in his hands, with bits of coldness seeping through it. On top, the ice-cream sat; it was vanilla with chocolate swirled around it skillfully and a large mound of whipped cream. Resting in the center was the largest Hershey kiss Law had ever witnessed, with Saint Benoit's logo engraved on it.  _Well, it does look good..._ Law reached into his back pocket to retrieve his wallet, but Allon quickly stopped him.  _"Non, non!_ It's on the house--I just want you to try it." 

Law shrugged, mentally thanking the man. With an anticipating mouth, the black haired student licked a good portion of the ice-cream off the waffle cone; whipped cream tagging along with it. The taste wasn't quite there yet, so Law licked again; this time, he got it all. His eyes stretched wide before they looked at Allon--he was greeted with a big, cheesy grin. "So, you like?" 

 _"Oui, c'est incroyable!"_ The French accent was slightly muffled, due to Law being half Spaniard, and also because ice cream was still on his palate. Allon gave a hearty chuckle while giving him a thumbs up. "Excellent! I think this is going to sell quite well since you liked it. Maybe I should start selling it now..." Law took another bite at his ice cream, this time chomping off the tip of the Hershey kiss. He nodded in agreement to Allon's words since his mouth was stuffed with the delicious, cool treat.

Allon laughed while waving him off.  _"Très bien , au revoir Law._ Send your mother and father the best of wishes from me." Law waved off Allon as he exited the shop, still licking away at his free, cool treat. It was actually unwise of him to eat ice cream with winter arriving around the corner, but the weather wasn't too bad. And the ice cream was half gone. 

Crowne Plaza was soon behind him, and Boulevard Arago was in front of him. The street had tall buildings on either side of it, with tall trees framing the sides. The autumn leaves here swirled around the heads and feet of people, whilst dipping underneath the passing vehicles. The scene here was just as captivating as the Crowne Plaza, and as Law ate away at his treat, he saw many tall and famous buildings here. Such as Winchester Bank that sat on the cornerstone. Here, Law made a left at the intersection and walked alongside a hotel. 

It was at the end of this hotel where Law saw a large crowd of spectators watching an event behind a metal fence. As he neared the crowd, familiar words were repeated.  _"The new doctor... here?"_

_"I wonder if he's nice,"_

_"Where does he come from?"_

_"Who exactly is this new doctor?"_

The last two questions ran through Law's mind as he found his way through the crowd. Just as he was reaching the front, the sight of a grand facility opened in front of his eyes. It looked to be just about complete, with the foundation finished and most of the framework up. Construction workers walked in and out of the opened doors of the facility, carrying more steel beams and blueprints into the darkened room. Law's eyes swept over the site and came across a sign with a white, plastic-looking covering over it. 

While the words of the original sign were covered up, Law read the words that were printed on the white covering.  _Hospital - Work In Progress._ A grunt came from someone on his left, who happened to be reading the banner and watching the progression of the building. Law looked over on his left to see the side view of a man in a brown cashmere suit with a striped red tie. His brows were furrowed just above his eyes, which remained glued to the scene before him.  _"C'est certainement nouveau. Un autre hôpital est en cours de construction."_

Law's eyes were stretched having heard the suited man mutter 'hospital' underneath his breath. Without much regard, he intercepted the other's thoughts. " _Excusez-moi, monsieur._ You just said something about a new hospital being built here. Is that true?" 

The suited man looked down at Law with a raised eyebrow. With a clear view of the other, Law saw that the man had an exquisite pair of brown eyes similar to his kinfolk and dark brown hair that was set in waves. The man nodded in response to the student's question, much to his dissent. "Yep," the other said, pushing his hands into the pockets of his dark brown slacks, "a new hospital's coming to town. I wonder why, though. I suppose it is about the Amber Lead crisis, though, it's really not so much a crisis anymore..." 

"But... I thought they were going to use this land as a park, or recreational center..." _Not for another hospital,_  Law added to himself. _And we definitely don't need one if it's because of Amber Lead.._  The suited man nodded and grunted once more. " _Oui._ There was some speculation going around in the paper this morning--42.7 acres of land bought off  _entirely_ in less than a day, and reconstruction undergoing in the same hour. Happened last week, from what it said."

A light smile adorned the suited man's lips, with lighthearted amusement swimming through his dark brown eyes. "Guess whoever this man is must have had quite a sum to buy off something like that in such a short of amount of time. Perhaps he's more than a doctor--maybe he's a billionaire." 

Law wasn't half as amused as the man next to him. "But why a hospital when Flevance already has one? What's the purpose of this hospital, and who's going to be in charge of it?" 

The suited man gave Law a sideways glance just as he erupted into a fit of chuckles. He rested a hand on the student's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze--Law could feel the heavy prodding of several rings digging through his jacket and into his skin. "You're definitely the son of Ramon, aren't you? One more hospital won't hurt Flevance, and neither will it hurt your business. From the way I see it, the new arrival of the hospital and this man might be a breakthrough for the Amber Lead Disease; wouldn't you think?" 

The man in the brown suit chuckled, but Law didn't find anything worth chuckling for. In fact, he was downright anxious _and_ skeptical. Fear also played a role in it--some random hospital being built and a doctor being announced to arrive in... " _Hé,_ when is this all of this coming to a close?" The suited man looked thoughtful for just a moment, as if recalling the words he read in the paper. He removed his ringed hand off of Law's shoulder and shoved it back into his dark brown pockets, a light sigh exiting his lips. "The construction of the hospital is said to end in a week and a half, with the man arriving by the end of this week." 

 _What, by the end of this week!?_ The news only made the fear in Law's stomach colder and harder, and the anxiousness shook his bones to the core. The suited man saw the look on the student's face and felt a wave of sympathy for him. Without much thought, he placed his ringed hand back onto the other's shoulder and gave it a second light squeeze. "Like I said before, this won't hurt Flevance, or your business--" 

 _"Usted no sabe a ciencia cierta."_ The Spaniard side of Law showed through this mutter as he shook off the suited man's hand. He grimaced slightly, but a recognition passed over his face. "Hey, you might actually like the new doctor. He's Spanish too, I think from some place in Spain." 

"Spain..?" 

"Here--take this. It has more information about what's going on than what I can give you, and it may lessen your fears a bit." 

The suited man gave Law his own copy of  _Flevance Daily_ from the inside of his coat. Law took it, scanned through the first page, then turned and started heading home.  _"Au revoir, jeune homme!"_ he shouted as the student began heading home. Law had only scanned over the paper once before tucking it into his dark gray backpack. He didn't let the idea of a new doctor from Spain arriving to his hometown worry him to much and shoved it to the back of his mind. 

With the same confident stride, yet a faltering look on his face, Law continued on his path home. 

 

 **T** rafalgar Hospital sat towards the end of the Rue de la Barre. Law had taken a detour instead of going the full route to his house by exiting Boulevard Arago and instead walking down this slightly crowded street. The large hospital glistened in the setting sun, its golden rays reflecting the silvery white paint and making it glimmer like a gem, similar to the other structures in Flevance. The only color that contrasted with the white was the bright crimson plus sign painted onto the center of the hospital, which stood out like a red rose in white snow. 

A black gate supported by a brick foundation awaited Law as he approached closer to the hospital. He walked alongside the gate until he came across and corner, then turned left and entered through the side. A cemented pathway led to what looked like a front porch, and the student ascended the short flight of stairs and strolled into the house. 

A televised voice came from the living room, backed up by running water and pots being dropped off somewhere. Closing the front door behind him, Law walked into the living room to see Trafalgar B. Catherine doing the dishes in the kitchen. A pleasant smile was on her lips, bringing out a radiance that made her face glow. "I'm home,  _Maman."_

The living room was set in modern French decor. A cream hued couch in plushy material was placed against the similarly painted wall, with thick dark brown pillows set in the corners. Towards the end of the couch was a glass table supported on mahogany legs, which held a lamp and had two portraits next to it. A lounging chair of the same color and material was next to the couch, and had a woven maroon blanket draped over it. In the middle of the living room was another glass coffee table, with more picture frames underneath and a wooden chest set in between them. 

A fluffy rug made of white furs covered a great expanse of the mahogany tiled floor--it reached to the cream couch and chair, and supported the glass coffee table. A fireplace was built in front of the couch, with the large flat-screen hanging several feet above it. Glass vases with vividly colored flowers were set on both sides of the fireplace, which was blackened and charred from earlier usage. 

Hearing the voice of her son over the TV and running water, Catherine's smile broke out into a grin. She turned the tap water off and wiped her hands on a nearby towel while stepping towards Law. She wore a light pink blouse and white skirt that fell to her feet. Her hair, a striking curtain of blonde, was in a loose french braid down her back. This was done so she wouldn't get it caught in things as she worked diligently in the kitchen. "Ah, _bienvenue à la maison Law._ How was school today?" 

Catherine wrapped her oldest son in her arms and gave him a light squeeze. Law returned the hug, then shrugged off his backpack once they broke off. "The usual. Just more study guides and reviews. Where's _Père?_ " 

"Still in the ward. Check the first two floors--if not there, then he's in another operation room." 

Law's direction was now for the hospital ward, which was connected to the house by a short corridor. He dropped his backpack onto the chair, and then began to head over to the corridor. "Is everything alright, dear?" Law waved off his mother's worrying question with a dismissive wave. He'll talk about it to her later; his father must have known, though. And that's what Law was going to figure out. 

A reception room was what awaited the student at the end of the corridor. Various people were sitting in the chairs that lined against the wall and couches that were placed in the center, most of them reading the provided magazines or on their phones searching up the latest news and whatnot. As Law began making his way to the receptionist desk, memories from three years ago flooded into his mind: 

He had nearly lost his sister in this same room. Only his mother, he, and a member of his church were present, sitting at one of the couches a man was accompanying at the moment. The whole entire hospital was dead quiet saved for the labored breathing coming from the trio, and the occasional sob that slipped from his mother and the other woman. Law himself was crying, but he kept it at bay with a fierce look of determination.

Now, three years into the present, and the hospital was buzzing with calm activity. No one's mother was sobbing, fear wasn't in the atmosphere, and everyone had a smile or look of relaxation on their faces. A faint smile formed on his lips, which was the first thing the receptionist behind the desk saw as she looked up from her computer. " _Salut._ How may I help you?" 

The woman had light, rust-colored hair which ended at her ears and light brown eyes. She looked at Law with a bored expression, and spoke to him in the same tone. " _Salut--_ I'm here to see my dad. What floor's he on?" 

"Is he a patient? I need a name, sir--" 

" _Non,_ he's the head of this hospital. Trafalgar Ramon." 

 _Must be new. That, or really tired._ Law kept these thoughts to himself as the woman started typing away on the computer. She locked eyes with him once new information appeared on her screen. "Dr. Trafalgar is currently in an operation. You'll have to wait for a moment until he leaves the ER." 

The woman could see the control in the boy's muscles slowly exit as his shoulder slumped. "I'll let him know about your visit, but I can't promise you he'll hear. Go have a seat right over there,  _s'il vous_ _plaît_." The receptionist pointed to the nearby chairs which were close to the recovery hallways. Law went over and took his seat in one of them, his legs automatically stretching out and folding at the ankles.  _Of course, the one moment I need him, and he's busy doing surgery._ His eyes rolled at the thought. 

While waiting, Law glanced around the reception area. The floors matched the color of his eyes and glistened like they were just waxed, with several dark colored rugs placed near couches and chairs. Large frames hung from the walls, illustrating the creation of the hospital and its monumental moments. One particular frame, which hung behind the receptionist desk, was of his father and mother, as well as two senior doctors, and the completed form of their hospital. Law grinned upon seeing this, with the names of the seniors flashing across his mind. 

The sliding glass doors provided a good view of the outside world, allowing Law to see the tall buildings that were outside the black gates. People continued flowing in and out of the hospital, this time coming in with small children and those around his age. A particular child who had a tangled mop of black hair and dark brown eyes, had a bright smile on his lips.  _"I'm going to get food after this! Going to the doctors is so much fun!"_ _  
_

 _Reminds me of a certain someone.._ Law watched the mother and son walk to the desk, then turned his attention back to the picture frames. He had now been waiting for his father for at least twenty minutes now and still the head doctor didn't show up. However, Law was patient--this, he got from his mother. His patience would work out in the end, so to pass up time the boy grabbed a magazine and started flipping and scanning through the pages.  _Should have brought the newspaper..._

"Sorry for making you wait, but I-- _are you reading?"_

Law looked up from the pages he wasn't particularly paying attention to and narrowed his eyes. Standing in front of him, dressed in a white doctor coat and light blue dress shirt with red tie, was the head doctor of the large facility--his father. He was removing red-stained gloves from off his hands as he strolled towards Law; the boy could see a teasing smile on his old man's lips. "I'm only reading this junk because you took so long in the operation room!"

" _Siento, lo siento._ We were performing an organ transplant--didn't I already tell you this?" 

Law closed the magazine and got up from the chair. To the visitors in the hospital, Law was the spitting image of his father. Lightly tanned skin due to the Spaniard lineage, dark black hair that looked like they just woke up, and pale grey eyes. Ramon wore glasses, and Law did not--his vision wasn't nearly as bad as his dad's, fortunately. Law shrugged the remark off. "Yeah, yeah. But that was before I heard what happened today." 

Ramon's chuckling--his sense of humor bemused even his own son--was cut short. "What happened? Was it bad?" As the two walked side-by-side, the smell of sterilized products, disinfectants, and blood filled Law's nose. He found the scent enjoyable, unlike most people. "It depends... did you hear anything about a new doctor coming to town, and a hospital being built for that doctor?" 

Silence came from the doctor as they walked down the busy hallway. Nurses of different genders greeted and shot past them, pushing carts and carrying clipboards.  _So, he didn't know either? I thought D--_

"Yes, I have in fact. Crocus told me all about it. ..That's right! We were to have a meeting with this new doctor at the end of this week." 

Ramon heard another pair of footsteps cease, and turned around to see Law eyeing him incredulously. The man raised one brow at this shocked expression, clearly confused as to why his son was so surprised. "What's the matter, son? Didn't you hear about it?" 

" _No,_ in fact, I did  _not._ I was never informed about this until today--Dad, aren't you the  _least_ bit skeptical to who this guy is? He could be trouble to our business, and--" 

Ramon started chuckling again. "Get a hold of yourself, Law, you're starting to sound like your mother. This man would bring as much trouble as a malformed cell. Do you know the real reason why this man's coming to Flevance?" The two resumed walking again. Law glanced sideways at his father, then shrugged; the suited man earlier hadn't said much, though he thought it would be a breakthrough in curing the Amber Lead Disease and ridding it for good. "To... Get rid of Amber Lead Disease?" 

" _Exactamente!_ Unfortunately, I have no clue what this man is called, and Crocus won't tell me. Said ' _He told me to keep his name out of the public until he arrives.'_ Quite strange, but hey, it's his choice." 

 _Yeah, that is strange._ Law thought over to himself. The two had made it to Ramon's office, which was really a desk in the center of a square room and two black chairs sitting in front of it. The desk had a PC placed on the surface, with papers strewn here and there. A small picture frame was beside the portrait, next to a paperweight saying ' _The World's #1 Dad'_ in flashy block letters. Law snickered underneath his breath; he remembered his sister buying that for him, before she succumbed to the sickness. 

" _Think I'm all set... I have Alfred taking care of Cindy right now, and Barto leading one of the operations.._ So, was that it? Is that the main reason why you wanted me?" 

Law muttered 'yeah' underneath his breath while walking over to the desk. Ramon grinned, the expression lighting up his pale gray eyes. "There's nothing to worry about, son. You may even grow to like the man; he's from Spain, just like you and I." 

 _"That's exactly what someone else told me.._ Can I go to the meeting with you and see this man for myself?" 

The screen which had a spreadsheet opened was closed out of, revealing the desktop until Ramon shut the computer down itself. He turned to Law, a softened expression on his face. "Now, Law, you know you can't go to these conferences. I would let you go, honest, but Crocus and Dr. Kureha would scold me for it." 

" _Che, ese viejo.._ Whatever, then." 

"But..!" Law turned around just as Ramon exited the office. They were now heading back to the reception area, though Ramon still had work to do. "You can attend our little welcoming party for him when he arrives. How's that sound?" 

Law physically face-palmed himself. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was meant to be posted on Sunday, but I got home too late. So, this chapter is basically a day late. 
> 
> The content of this chapter was meant to be in the second chapter, but the post would've been WAAAY too long and I was too tired to add it, so yeah. A sickly sister gets introduced. (Finally)
> 
> ***UPDATE***  
> I'm terribly sorry for how late this chapter was updated. I fell sick Monday and was off and on typing this, and when it got worse I just stopped completely. I'll try to be more frequent with my updates, but I can promise you that they won't be two-days late like this one was.  
> The plot begins to thicken (slightly) with the little introduction of a much loved character. Next chapter, we'll be introducing one of the main antagonists (in a way--you'll understand soon enough) of the story. So yeah, I'm sorry for updating so late.

**Chapter Three-**

_Research_

 

 

**T** rafalgar Law was back inside the house after Ramon walked him to the corridor. He still couldn't believe what his father had said to him, scowling every time the phrase shot across his mind. 

_You can attend our little welcoming party for him when arrives!_

Was he serious? The arrival of this man would be crucial, urgent even; not some clown party! Law closed his eyes and allowed himself to inhale a great gulp of air, before pushing it out through a long exhale. Now that he was back home, the black haired student was sitting in the study room of the house, a large Physics textbook opened up in front of him and a notebook resting on the side. A pencil was continuously tapping the wooden desk in a steady  _tap, ta-tap, tap._

The study room, or library, had two shelves completely stacked with books on medicines, anatomy, and the fictional novels. One shelf which had all of this was nailed to the left of Law, while the other was nailed directly beside the computer desk in which the teenage boy sat at. A large globe of the world being held by a golden stand sat at the top of the shelf, next to an ancient antique book. Two brown chairs made of leather were placed side by side with a mahogany round table in front, and another table of the same material on the side. A lamp was next to this, currently illuminating a warm glow that filled the room. 

The opened Physics book that was in front of him was unoccupied--Law couldn't focus on it for nothing. The pages of his notebook sat untouched, with a blank equation neatly written on the first line. It didn't help that the newspaper given to the student earlier was also in the room, currently laying on the right side of the textbook. He had just gotten done reading the first page of it, and now, speculation reeled inside of his mind. 

The doctor said to be coming from Barcelona, Spain could be put on the same caliber as Trafalgar Ramon. That alone was enough to make Law's blood bubble just a bit. However, just like Ramon told him, his name was publicized, due to personal reasons. _"The city mayor wasn't upset with this at all and welcomed the man with open arms. 'As long as you can help our fellow doctors', he beamed, 'I wouldn't mind hiding your name for weeks!' This was over the phone last Tuesday, hours after the man bought out the 42.7 acre of land. Not only is the city mayor excited about the new arrival of help, but our senior doctors Kureha and Crocus have taking a liking to the man as well._

_'I'm as excited as Mr. Flores about this man, and is quite please with his medical experience. I'm sure he and Ramon will work together as one and bring Amber Lead down once and for all.' Rumors, theories, and speculations about the mystery doctor have risen throughout the town of Flevance, but every citizen has grown fond of him._

_"Hmph, not_ every  _citizen."_ Law's stubborn mind wouldn't accept this foreign member without a thorough background check. He hated having this information obscured and out of reach, all because of 'personal reasons'. Discarding his Physics textbook and notebook, Law turned the large PC on and waited for the desktop to appear. His wait wasn't long, and he clicked on the internet icon the moment connection was safe.

The first thing Law typed into the search bar was 'Spain's best doctor'. It was a broad search, and biased one at that, but the media said that this man could be matched with his father's performance. _I'll see to that fact, which is a damn lie._ He clicked on the first link, which was a website that contained a list of the top twenty doctors in all of Spain. The first was--not surprisingly--Trafalgar Ramon. Law skipped over his father's page after reading a few sentences.  _Trafalgar Ramon was born in_ _Portugal, Spain on October 18. All during his life, the young boy witnessed many operations and procedures and read several books on medicines and the different types of diseases._

The next name was Doctor Ho, an Islamic man famous for his medicinal practices in the Alabasta Kingdom. Law continued clicking through the list; names like Belladonna, Dr. Fishbonen, and Aladdin dashed by. Crocus and Kureha were present on the list, which wasn't surprising to Law--they practically led the medical industry.

Despite all these names that flew by--Hiluluk, Nako, Hogback--none of them came from Spain. Law was beginning to think the whole Spaniard-doctor-idea was bogus, and was just about to close the webpage, until his mouse clicked a few more times and landed on a certain page. The name read Don-Quixote Rosinante, and had a picture of the man, where he looked to be inside an office building. The man had light skin and blonde hair, similar to his mother's, which reached to his eyebrows in a messy fashion. His eyes were a striking color that matched a typical afternoon sky. 

Just as quickly as he came across the picture and name, Law scanned through the paragraph about the doctor.  _"Don-Quixote Rosinante was born on August 28 in Marie Jois, Spain, to a rich and wealthy family. Much of his childhood consisted of him and his older brother marveling in the fame of their father, Don-Quixote Homing. Rosinante's first choice hadn't always been becoming one of the greatest doctors in Spain; he was a commander in Spain's Naval Base, steadily working up the ranks to gain vice admiral position._

_Rosinante was elected as Spain's top doctors by Mariano Rajoy Brey, and given the Lasker Award by Kureha on December 15 for successfully finding the cure to ten illnesses once thought to be incurable, such as the infamous Tuberculosis."_

The paragraph ended there, leaving Law on an informational cliffhanger. 

_More._

This simple word motivated the boy in opening up another tab and typing in the doctor's full name into the search box. Law clicked on the first link, just like before, and was taken to a page that had a full biography of the Spaniard doctor. A chart that was labeled 'Quick Facts' was first on the page, and Law quickly skimmed through the information. It was the same as the paragraph on the other page, and he was just about to read the full history of the man until his eyes settled on a heart stopping fact. 

_Date of Death: July 29, 2006_

_Place of Death: Barcelona, Spain_

Law allowed this fact to roll around in his mind, sinking into the center of his brain. This man, the famous doctor in Spain, dead. By what? Curious, Law skimmed through the paragraphs describing Rosinante's life until he reached the section marked 'Death: News that Flipped Spain Upside Down'. 

_"Don Quixote Rosinante was found in his mansion on the beach-side of Barcelona dead; several alcoholic drinks including Barcadi and Corona were found littered around his bed. Rosinante is believed to have died by intoxication, and now the question remains; why? Why did he take his life by drinking? Several family members, including his older brother Don-Quixote Doflamingo, have talked about his death and what life was like before it."_

Below, a video of the interview was present. Law clicked 'Play' and sat back as the video loaded. The first two people to arrive in the video was the interviewer, a man, and another man who looked similar to Rosinante. He wore comical-looking shades with pink lenses and white frames, and had on a dark pink dress shirt and light pink tie. His blonde hair wasn't nearly as long as his brother's, and arched up in a tiny cowlick.  _"How was Rosinante acting before his death? Was there any..._ immediate  _changes to his personality that you could have known of?"_ _  
_

_"...I can't really say.. Rosi had been quiet, even at a young age, and humorous if he wanted too. He never appeared depressed, or any of the like; you couldn't see it in his eyes, or in the way he walked, or in the way he talked."_

_"He never had any moments, or, acts of suicide? Talked about it, to you at least? You seem to have had a healthy relationship with your brother."_

Law could see the emotion building up in the brother straight through his pink lenses. Yet, his voice remained steady.  _"No, Rosi... He didn't have any suicidal thoughts. For as long as I known him and been around him, he didn't attempt or act any means of suicide. It just wasn't... in him.."_

_"So, when his death came around, did it take you by surprise?"_

_"Yes..."_ The interviewer didn't push the man when he started breathing heavily. The blonde haired man removed his shades and quickly placed his hand over his eyes, partly to cover them and also to remove the tears that fell at the corners.  _"I-I didn't... I-I-I didn't expect for R-Rosinante to kill himself, e-especially by intoxication. I-I-I mean, i-it wasn't in him; he didn't... He didn't strike me as the type to even think of that m-method. S-So, to hear his death being a-announced, o-over the radio... A-A-And walking in at the m-moment.."_

Law quickly closed the tab out to where he was looking at the previous page, with the list of doctors. He couldn't stomach to hear a grown man cry; especially having seen his father lose himself several times in his lifetime. Giving one last look at Don-Quixote Rosinante, Law closed out of the page and resumed back to his homework; it was just as fruitless as before, especially with more news circulating in his brain. He might as well have stared at the forest screensaver on his desktop. 

The death of Spanish doctor wasn't leaving his mind anytime soon, and made sure by fixating to the center of his attention. If it wasn't for his mother lightly knocking on the wooden door and calling out his name, the black haired teenager would have torn through the textbook and threw the notebook across the room. "Law dear, dinner's ready." The thought food instantly calmed the boy's mind, and Law pushed away from the computer desk and followed Catherine out to the kitchen. 

 

**D** inner consisted of slowly cooked and tenderized beef in a mixture of steamed vegetables and freshly baked loaf of bread, along with a side of  _pomme purée,_ or mashed potatoes. The table was set already, with someone sitting and waiting for the rest to gather. Law chose his seat next to the person, which was his little sister dressed in a pale pink nightgown with blue flowers adorning the hem. She had similar colored hair like her mother's and darker brown eyes that captured the radiance of the ceiling lights. " _Bonjour, Lamie._ How've you been?" 

Trafalgar Lamie turned her wide, dark brown eyes to her older brother and gave him cheerful grin. "Better now that dinner's ready! It's beef stew and mashed potatoes tonight--Mom's best!" Law gave his younger sister's hair a tussling with his hand while taking his seat.

Lamie had been hospitalized for two long years ever since Amber Lead was found in her system, with her father and mother working around the clock in trying to save her. The breakthrough medicine developed by Ramon himself had stabilized the dangerous illness and restored what skin she had lost, and immunity that had been wasted away. Unlike Law's vitiligo, Lamie's skin was returning back to normal with each week, receiving fewer and fewer whitened blotches.

Ramon came in at that moment, hanging his white coat onto the mahogany coat hanger and dropping his bag at the door. Catherine welcomed him in with a hug and quick peck at the corner of the lips before pulling him to the set table, laden with steaming hot plates and bowls and later joined with glasses of red wine and water. Ramon sat across from Law and diagonal from Lamie, with Catherine sitting across from Lamie and similarly diagonal from Law. " _Hola mi pequeña ciela._ You're looking better and better each time I get a glance of you." 

_"Daddy!"_ Lamie squealed at the arrival of her father, though she remained fastened to her seat. Ramon gave her his charming smile and folded a white linen cloth over his pants. Law repeated the method also--his mind was still not in the right mindset. 

As Catherine folded her napkin over her lap, she caught Lamie getting ready to dig into her plate. _"Non, arrête ça! Vous connaissez les règles, Lamie._ We always bless our food before we eat it." Catherine's sharp scolding stopped her daughter and made her pout. Law's lips pulled into a faint smirk, and Ramon chuckled underneath his breath. After giving her husband a sharp look--one that quieted his chuckling instantly--Catherine closed her eyes and stretched out both of her arms. 

Ramon did the same and clasped hands with his wife, then with his son. The rest of the family soon gathered in hands and thanked the food they were soon to digest. Prayer lasted for ten minutes; after that, the family released each other's hands and dug into the evening meal. The sounds of forks clinking against plates, quiet chews and slurps, and the occasional ' _mm_ ' was all that could be heard. That was until Catherine broke the silence with a question about the job. "How was everything today, honey?" 

Ramon took a long sip of his red wine to swallow down the stew before answering. "Normal. The organ transplant went without a hitch, which is something to be thankful for. Oh!--Alfonse said something to me just before I left. We were talking about the Amber Lead Disease and how the cure feels like its getting nowhere close. He said, _'Not every disease is incurable, and not every incurable disease is dangerous.'_ " The man shrugged nonchalantly, a calm expression passing over his face. "It's moving to me--because it's true. I needed that little motivation to keep on progressing with a cure, which will save Flevance and its people for good." 

He winked at Lamie, who was busy stuffing her face with bread and beef. "That's what we all need--a little inspiration and motivation." Catherine swallowed a forkful of beef and glanced at Law through her peripherals. She saw her son slowly chewing at his food, while using his fork to spin pieces of beef and vegetables around. His expression was blank, as usual, but his eyes were intuitive like they usually are; they were blank as well, set in a deep thinking process. _"Yeah, Flefance'll definitely get safed! Anf that means no more bef time!"_

Catherine turned her attention back to her daughter. _"Manners ! Il est impoli de parler avec de la nourriture dans votre bouche."_ She sighed once Lamie broke out into a fit of giggles similar to her father. Law smiled as well and took a swallow his drink-- _Alasatian Pinoit Noir_ red wine. "What about you, Law? You seem to be in deep thought about something." 

_"Ce n'est rien."_

"It's about that doctor isn't it? I thought I told you to get over that." Law gave his father a sharp look and was met with a stern, though confused, stare. Catherine intervened in the eye contact between father and son. "A new doctor? ..Come to think of it, I noticed the paper on the desk after you left the study room. What's this about a new doctor?" 

Law started to open his mouth, but his father quickly cut him off. "A new doctor from Spain is coming over at the end of the week, and Law's stressing out over him. And I'm clueless as to why." 

"You know why--Flevance doesn't need a new doctor. It has you, and Mom!" 

"Honestly, I don't see what the big problem about is. I just see a neighboring country offering help to get rid of a crisis." 

Ramon jumped at the idea, giving his son an 'see-I-told-you-so' expression. Still, Law didn't buy it, and he looked away from both of his parents; in his mind, he had rolled his eyes at them.  _"He'll come around and see that all of this was pointless--"_

"I looked up doctors in Spain, Dad, and the two best ones is right here in France, with the other one  _dead._ " Law recalled the crying older brother, and how his voice shook at the thought of his optimistic brother dead by intoxication.

Silence overtook the table; even Lamie stopped her ravenous eating to give her older brother a wide-eyed stare. "Dead? Who's dead?" 

"His name was Don-Quixote--" 

"Rosinante. Yes, I'm aware that  _he's_ dead, and there's probably another man similar to him that you missed. Did you finish looking at the list of doctors in Spain?" 

Law opened his mouth once again, but closed it; Ramon's victorious smirk made Law look back at his plate and take a forced bite out of his stew. "Exactly--there's still many more you forgot to look up.  _How unfortunate for Rosinante to pass away, bendiga su corazón."_

The matter was settled after that, with another choice of conversation opening up. This time, it was Lamie--she had drunk half of the water in her cup, and saw Law drinking the red wine. Her eyebrows furrowed above her eyes, which in turned narrowed them into a pout-like stare. Law saw this and turned to look at her, bewilderment settling in his gray eyes. "What?" 

Lamie didn't say anything, though she kept eating and drinking. The water in her cup was finally gone, and she pointed an accusing finger towards her older brother. _"Ce n'est pas juste!_ How come you get wine and I get water?" 

_...She's not serious._ Law rolled his eyes and continued eating; he ignored the childish statement, and tuned in to what Ramon and Catherine were talking about. Lamie's teeth clenched and grounded against one another--an impish streak soon surged through her, and with a mischievous smirk she reached over for his partially-full glass. Lamie hadn't even touched the glass when Law's hand grabbed her fingers. Out of instinct, they began to tighten. _"Ow! Let go let go let go! Let go of me, Law!"_

"Then _don't_ reach for my drink." Law still didn't let go, and a devilish smile folded across his lips. 

It took Ramon's booming voice to stop the simple, childish scuffle from escalating.  _"Assez!_ Law, let go of your sister's hand now!" Law released Lamie, the devilish smirk still on his lips. Lamie rolled her big brown eyes--a bad habit she seen Law do several times and picked up on. It got another sharp scolding from Ramon. "I said enough. Act up again and you won't get any dessert tonight." 

_"It's not fair.. Law gets to taste wine, and I still have to drink water and juice. Hmph."_

Ramon's serious mood was melted into a smiling expression. He chuckled at Lamie's mumbling, which Catherine found disrespectful and gave her another sharp glare. "Just three more years, and you'll be drinking wine too. Wow, who would've thought you wanted to drink the bitter liquid--I swear they get this from your side of the family." 

_"Three years!?_ I can't wait that long!" Lamie's melodramatic reply was cut off when she glanced at Law. He was still wearing his light gray jacket with the black hood, though he changed out of his white uniform shirt and was into a red t-shirt. The sleeves were pulled over his wrists, revealing completely white skin that stretched all the way to his fingertips. Lamie smiled again, more playful instead of mischievous, and pointed at the revealing whiteness. "Quick, Law! Your skin's showing again." 

The corners of Law's lips formed a light smile at the inside joke, and he quickly tucked them inside his jacket. "They've been left out for too long again, and frozen at the tips. They need to be warmed before they visit the outside world." 

"How long will that be? Seconds, minutes, hours?" 

"I predict days, Commander Lamie. Days until they can see the sun again." 

The two broke into chuckles and giggles, with Ramon and Catherine smiling at their inside game. Ramon took another glance at his son, and his smile started to slowly lessen. While the jacket covered up his arms and back, it still revealed his wrists, and the base of his neck--whitened streaks could be seen poking out from underneath the red shirt and jacket, gradually stretching to the bottom of his jaw. It looked to be getting worse.  _I'll have to get more corticosteroid cream; he might be running out again. "Oh, that reminds me..."_

Law's shoulders shook as he pulled out his wrists and examined them underneath the table. He ran his left hand, which wasn't as bad his right, over his other fingers, tracing the lines all the way to his white palm. He mentally cursed as he reminded himself of tomorrow.  _"Présentation Jour is tomorrow.._ Thanks for reminding me, Lamie." 

"Heehee, no problem!" Lamie went back to eating--her plate was nearly cleaned. Law went back to eating as well, though he took much slower than his sister. In fact, he didn't eat at all; he forked his food around and played in his mashed potatoes. Catherine noticed this, but she said nothing. The topic was too sensitive to talk about with her son, and she didn't want to risk having an episode about it. Ramon knew about it too, and made no move to speak about it. 

The silence was deafening at the table (if you exclude Lamie's slurps and noisy chews), until Law turned back to his sister. "Here--take mine, before you start eating the plate and fork." After that, he excused himself from the table and left for his room. Ramon and Catherine looked at each other, then sighed in unison. _"I was hoping he'd gotten over it."_  

"Will they let him wear his jacket? He can't wear those cardigans--his skin's already damaged enough." 

"I highly doubt it. Maybe we shouldn't let him go; it's better for him that way." 

"He can stay home with me! That way, I won't be so bored--" Lamie saw the look her mother gave her and quickly changed the word, "--I mean, I'll have more fun with both  _Maman_ and Law here." 

Ramon chuckled and got up from the table. His plate was just about complete, and, giving his daughter's hair a quick ruffle, he followed Law to his bedroom. 

 

**W** hen he walked in, he saw Law sitting at his desk working out of his textbook. The lamplight was on and gave the room a warm glow, reflecting off the dark colored walls and dressers that were aligned against the wall. Ramon walked into his son's room quietly and took his seat on the made bed; the dark grey covers were soft to the touch and thick. He listened to the pencil marking the notebook paper, and the occasional page being flipped. 

Thirty seconds of silence passed between father and son, until finally Ramon spoke. "Homework?" 

"Yeah." Law's voice was neutral, with little emotion behind it. Ramon's head bobbed just a little. "Anatomy?" 

"Physics I." 

"Ah, the hard stuff. I see," Ramon chuckled quietly at his own joke; Law remained stone-faced. The two went quiet again, this time with Ramon eyeing the compartment of his son's room. Apart from the medical books that were stacked on top of shelves within the room, Law had the average bedroom of a teenage boy. A scholar award sat above Law's bed: the Presidential Academic Achievement award, won when he was just fourteen years old.  Next to the award, was a white fur hat with black spots.

The sounds of pencil scratching on paper was ceased, and Ramon turned his attention back to his son to see the boy having stopped writing altogether. A gentle sigh pushed through the older man's lips. "You don't have to go, Law. Instead, stay with me; you can help around the hospital, and keep me company." 

At this, Law grinned lightly. "No, that's alright Dad.. I'll go," 

"Or, you can stay home and help around the house while keeping Lamie company. No one's forcing you to go to Presentation Day tomorrow--" 

"It's  _alright,_ seriously." Law set his pencil down and closed both his notebook and textbook. Ramon figured he had hit a sensitive nerve and instantly quieted down, then rose up off the bed and started making for the door.  _"Buenas noches, Dad."_

_"Hasta mañana, son._ Don't stress over the little things too much--don't want to have gray hairs like your old man here." 

Ramon left the room chuckling down the hall. With his father gone, Law got up and closed the door to his room. He then turned around and faced the mirror nailed into the door of his closet and started walking closer to it. Law slowly shrugged off his gray jacket, and then his red shirt, until his bare chest was revealed and reflected. White blotches jeered at him from the reflection of the mirror, covering a majority of his chest and lower waist. 

Inhaling and exhaling three breaths, Law traced each blotch with his index finger, keeping track of how his vitiligo had increased.  _Last month, my ventral region had three-inch spots. Now, they look about five... and completely cover my abdominal region._ He turned around to look at his back and craned his neck at an angular level. Just like his front, his entire back was blotched white. The only spots that remained untouched was his shoulder blades, and base of his neck. 

_Just like my front, my posterior region has increased over the month. This--_ he pointed at his side, and attempted to trace it to his other side-- _hadn't stretched that far._

Law headed for his dressers and pulled out a white t-shirt. Slipping out of his uniform pants, he dressed into a pair of black pajamas and made his way for bed.  _Tomorrow won't be bad; it'll be like today._ He hopped into bed with a small smile tugging at his lips. Once the lights were off, the smile turned to a jeer.  _You tell yourself that, and yet you always sleep in and let the day pass you by._ Law fell asleep with the mocking comment tumbling through his mind. 


	4. Hiatus Until Further Notice

I've hit a tremendous writer's block with Chapter Four, and I originally was going to pick back up on later today, but re-reading this story makes me now see the utter  **confusion** I put with it (if you don't see confusion, you don't have Writer's OCD like I do). 

I apologize for this, but as the title says this story will undergo a hiatus that may take years (lolno--I joke around way too much). 

Being serious now,  _A Lovesick Love Story_ will go through a major change--plot, characters, choice of tags,  _everything._ I'll have the first three chapters still up, but there will be a 50-50 chance that these chapters will be deleted--the whole story might be gone.  **That doesn't mean take the idea. The rough draft of this plot came from MY head-cannon, which I had posted on MY Tumblr.**

Anyways, it is now time to break out the notebook, pencil, paper, and box of Kleenex. When I come back, I'll have this story up and running again. 

[If you want to take a little guess as to when this story will be touched upon again, keep track of the weekly Shounen Manga--no promises, but you can guess when  _A Lovesick Love Story_ will be coming back.] 


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